UN Secretary-General Ban calls for immediate ceasefire in Sudan's Southern Kordofan

UN Secretary-General Ban calls for immediate ceasefire in Sudan's Southern Kordofan

2011-06-16 09:35:37 GMT+7 (ICT)

UNITED NATIONS (BNO NEWS) -- United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Wednesday called for an immediate cease of hostilities in South Kordofan between the northern army known as the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Sudan People's Liberation Army (SPLA) of Southern Sudan.

"The Secretary-General urges the parties to immediately cease all hostilities and allow unconditional air and ground access to UNMIS and the humanitarian agencies to all parts of Southern Kordofan," said Martin Nesirky, spokesman for the UN head.

The ongoing clashes in the Sudanese state have caused the death of many civilians and the displacement of tens of thousands. Ban urged both sides to facilitate the delivery of vital assistance and to ensure the safety and security of United Nations staff.

"Immediate, unconditional and safe freedom of movement for humanitarian organizations is needed in order to protect and assist those in need of aid," said Valerie Amos, the Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs.

In addition to the clashes, heavy bombardment by Sudanese warplanes has been reported during the past week in areas surrounding the Southern Kordofan capital of Kadugli and other towns.

Ban also welcomed the efforts led by the African Union High-level Implementation Panel (AUHIP) to help the parties resolve their differences through peaceful political means.

"The Secretary-General is deeply concerned about the deterioration of the security situation and the escalation of fighting in Southern Kordofan," added Nesirky. "Secretary-General encourages the parties to reach an agreement as soon as possible."

Earlier this year, millions of Southern Sudan residents voted in favor of separating from the rest of the African nation. The referendum was seen as the culminating point of the 2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) which officially ended the long north-south civil war in Sudan, although the conflict has been ongoing.

More than two million people, most of them civilians who died due to starvation and drought, were killed during the Second Sudanese Civil War between 1983 and 2005. Under the CPA, the SPLA became the official army of South Sudan and the Sudan People's Liberation Movement (SPLM) the ruling party.

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